The anatomy of ride-hailing trips in the Jakarta metro: spatial patterns, trip-level characteristics, and interaction with other modes

Abstract

This paper provides a baseline understanding on the anatomy of car-based ride-hailing (CBRH) and motorcycle-based ride-hailing (MBRH) trips in emerging economies, using the case of the Jakarta Metropolitan Area (JMA). Leveraging innovative urban data collection technologies, as manifested in an app-based travel survey with high granularity, this study unravels the spatial patterns of ride-hailing trips, trip-level characteristics (purpose, distance, time of day, duration), and their interaction with other modes, particularly transit. Based on recorded ride-hailing trips and a suite of descriptive analyses, findings suggest that: 1) ride-hailing is primarily a central city phenomenon, with most trips occurring to and from dense and spatially mixed neighborhoods; 2) there are substantial differences in trip characteristics between CBRH and MBRH; and 3) a predominant share of ride-hailing trips are stand-alone trips, coupled with insights that nearly 40% of ride-hailing trips likely fill the gap where quality transit services are lacking.